diff --git a/research/try.cpp b/research/try.cpp
index 5a84633a0..15c95d059 100644
--- a/research/try.cpp
+++ b/research/try.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ template <typename _Tp, typename _Dp>
 #include "lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp"
 #include "lib/iter-adapter-stl.hpp"
 #include "lib/itertools.hpp"
+#include "lib/util-coll.hpp"
 
 #include <utility>
 #include <string>
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ template <typename _Tp, typename _Dp>
 
 using std::string;
 using std::make_unique;
+using util::max;
 
 
 
@@ -90,27 +92,6 @@ using Strs = std::vector<PStr>;
 
 constexpr auto elems = [](auto& coll) { return lib::ptrDeref (lib::iter_stl::eachElm (coll)); };
 
-namespace lib {
-  
-  namespace {
-    
-    template<typename T, typename D>
-    struct RemovePtr<std::unique_ptr<T,D>> { typedef T Type; };
-  }
-}
-  namespace {
-    template<class IT>
-    inline auto
-    max (IT&& elms)
-    {
-      using Val = std::remove_reference_t<typename IT::value_type>;
-      Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::min();
-      for (auto& elm : std::forward<IT> (elms))
-        if (elm > res)
-          res = elm;
-      return res;
-    }
-  }
 
 int
 main (int, char**)
diff --git a/src/lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp b/src/lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp
index 1d48f1cd7..f42a46284 100644
--- a/src/lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@
 #include <boost/type_traits/remove_const.hpp>
 
 
+namespace std {
+  template <typename _Tp, typename _Dp>
+  class unique_ptr;
+}
+
 namespace lib {
   
   namespace {
@@ -72,6 +77,9 @@ namespace lib {
     template<typename T>
     struct RemovePtr<const T* const> { typedef const T Type; };
     
+    /** allow automatic dereferencing of std::unique_ptr */
+    template<typename T, typename D>
+    struct RemovePtr<std::unique_ptr<T,D>> { typedef T Type; };
   }
   
   
diff --git a/src/lib/util-coll.hpp b/src/lib/util-coll.hpp
index 1aba93075..a635bc318 100644
--- a/src/lib/util-coll.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/util-coll.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@
  ** collections and sequences (given by iterator). Mostly, these are tiny bits of
  ** existing functionality, just packaged in a more fluent and readable way.
  ** - accessors
- **   - \c first() to get the first element
- **   - \c last() to access the last element
+ **   - util::first() to get the first element
+ **   - util::last() to access the last element
+ ** - aggregate functions
+ **   - util::max() compute the maximum of comparable numbers
+ **   - util::min()
  ** 
  ** @warning some functions only available when including itertools.hpp beforehand
  ** 
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@
 #include "lib/util.hpp"
 #include "lib/meta/trait.hpp"
 
+#include <limits>
+
 
 
 namespace util {
@@ -157,21 +162,60 @@ namespace util {
     __ensure_nonempty(ii);
     return lib::pull_last (ii);
   }
-#endif  
+#endif
   
   
   
   /* === generic container helpers === */
   
-  struct WeakPtrComparator
-    {
-      template<typename T>
-      bool
-      operator() (std::weak_ptr<T> const& l, std::weak_ptr<T> const& r) const
-        {
-          return l.lock().get() < r.lock().get();
-        }
-    };
+  template<class IT>
+  inline auto
+  max (IT&& elms)
+  {
+    using Val = typename std::remove_reference_t<IT>::value_type;
+    Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::min();
+    for (auto const& elm : std::forward<IT> (elms))
+      if (elm > res)
+        res = elm;
+    return res;
+  }
+  
+  template<class CON>
+  inline auto
+  max (CON const& elms)
+  {
+    using Val = typename std::remove_reference_t<CON>::value_type;
+    Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::min();
+    for (auto const& elm : elms)
+      if (elm > res)
+        res = elm;
+    return res;
+  }
+  
+  
+  template<class IT>
+  inline auto
+  min (IT&& elms)
+  {
+    using Val = typename std::remove_reference_t<IT>::value_type;
+    Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::max();
+    for (auto const& elm : std::forward<IT> (elms))
+      if (elm < res)
+        res = elm;
+    return res;
+  }
+  
+  template<class CON>
+  inline auto
+  min (CON const& elms)
+  {
+    using Val = typename std::remove_reference_t<CON>::value_type;
+    Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::max();
+    for (auto const& elm : elms)
+      if (elm < res)
+        res = elm;
+    return res;
+  }
   
   
   
diff --git a/src/stage/panel/timeline-panel-obsolete.hpp b/src/stage/panel/timeline-panel-obsolete.hpp
index 1e2bf97b2..b762c372d 100644
--- a/src/stage/panel/timeline-panel-obsolete.hpp
+++ b/src/stage/panel/timeline-panel-obsolete.hpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 /** @file timeline-panel-obsolete.hpp
  ** This file contains the definition of the timeline panel
- ** @deprecated rework of timeline widget iminent
+ ** @deprecated rework of timeline widget imminent
  */
 
 
diff --git a/src/stage/timeline/track-presenter.hpp b/src/stage/timeline/track-presenter.hpp
index fec152bdc..ddbedae12 100644
--- a/src/stage/timeline/track-presenter.hpp
+++ b/src/stage/timeline/track-presenter.hpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 #include "stage/timeline/track-body.hpp"
 #include "lib/iter-adapter-ptr-deref.hpp"
 #include "lib/iter-adapter-stl.hpp"
+#include "lib/util-coll.hpp"
 #include "lib/itertools.hpp"
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #1201 : test/code... remove this
 #include "lib/format-cout.hpp"
@@ -359,39 +360,18 @@ namespace timeline {
       subTrack->establishLayout (displayEvaluation);
   }
   
-  namespace {
-    template<class IT>
-    inline auto
-    max (IT&& elms)
-    {
-      using Val = typename IT::value_type;
-      Val res = std::numeric_limits<Val>::min();
-      for (auto& elm : std::forward<IT> (elms))
-        if (elm > res)
-          res = elm;
-      return res;
-    }
-  }
-  
   /** */
   template<class CLPS, class MRKS>
   inline void
   DisplayFrame::establishExtension (CLPS clips, MRKS markers)
   {
-//    int maxVSize = max (lib::transformIterator(clips,
-//                                               [](ClipPresenter const& clip)
-//                                                 {
-//                                                   return clip.determineRequiredVerticalExtension();
-//                                                 }));
+    int maxVSize = util::max (lib::transformIterator(clips,
+                                                     [](ClipPresenter const& clip)
+                                                       {
+                                                         return clip.determineRequiredVerticalExtension();
+                                                       }));
     int headSize = this->head_.get_height();
     int bodySize = this->body_.calcHeight();
-    
-    
-    ////////////////////TODO: was ist? 
-//      typedef typename IT::value_type           pointer;
-//      typedef typename RemovePtr<pointer>::Type value_type;
-    
-/// wobei IT = lib::RangeIter<__gnu_cxx::__normal_iterator<std::unique_ptr<stage::timeline::MarkerWidget>*, ...
   }
 
   
diff --git a/src/stage/widget/timeline/timeline-layout-helper.hpp b/src/stage/widget/timeline/timeline-layout-helper.hpp
index 34ea7a4f6..60b025bfa 100644
--- a/src/stage/widget/timeline/timeline-layout-helper.hpp
+++ b/src/stage/widget/timeline/timeline-layout-helper.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 
 
+namespace util {                  ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #959 : obsolete helper utility inlined here directly
+  struct WeakPtrComparator     ///< @deprecated unsafe and generally a bad idea   
+    {
+      template<typename T>
+      bool
+      operator() (std::weak_ptr<T> const& l, std::weak_ptr<T> const& r) const
+        {
+          return l.lock().get() < r.lock().get();
+        }
+    };
+}                                 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #959 : obsolete helper utility inlined here directly
+
 namespace stage {
   
   namespace model {
diff --git a/tests/library/util-collection-test.cpp b/tests/library/util-collection-test.cpp
index eb6292598..7a60c06e9 100644
--- a/tests/library/util-collection-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/util-collection-test.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ namespace test {
           
           verify_accessFirstLast (container, NUM_ELMS);
           verify_accessFirstLast (iterator, NUM_ELMS);
+          
+          verify_Min_Max (container, NUM_ELMS);
+          verify_Min_Max (iterator, NUM_ELMS);
         }
       
       
@@ -113,6 +116,25 @@ namespace test {
         }
       
       
+      template<class COL>
+      void
+      verify_Min_Max (COL const& col, uint lim)
+        {
+          uint expectedMax = lim;
+          uint expectedMin = 1;
+          
+          CHECK (max (col) == expectedMax);
+          CHECK (min (col) == expectedMin);
+          
+          COL empty;
+          
+          using Val = typename COL::value_type;
+          
+          CHECK (max (empty) == std::numeric_limits<Val>::min());
+          CHECK (min (empty) == std::numeric_limits<Val>::max());
+        }
+      
+      
       void
       verify_typeDetectors()
         {